Rotary internal combustion engine



Sept. 16, 1969 M. s. GREEN ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 12, 1967 5 30 7X 3 v .wnmafl zw 44 3 W 2 m Wm \w M M N m m. w 7/? a} 2. W N N h s M w u A .5 If Q w w W -K M 5 0 WV 6 y w 5% a 0.

United States Patent 3,467,070 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Martin S. Green, Beverly Hills, Calif. (628 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angelles, Calif. 90004) Filed Sept. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 667,098 Int. Cl. F02b 53/06; F01c 1/00, 3/02 US. Cl. 12314 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary-type internal combustion engine wherein a rotor cooperates with a bore to define circumferentially spaced gas transport spaces has gas compression cavities in the rotor occurring between the spaces, fiow passages communicating between the cavities and the spaces in advance thereof and valve means to permit the flow of gases into the cavities through said passages when the spaces related thereto are taking in air and fuel and to prevent the flow of gases back through the passages when the air and fuel in the cavities and spaces is ignited and burning.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved rotary engine of the nature and character described in the above abstract, wherein the flow passages in the rotor and the check valve means cooperates with the compression cavities, ports, gas transport spaces and expansion chamber to provide novel movement and transfer of gases into, through and out of the construction.

It is another object of my invention to provide a structure of the general character referred to having novel sealing means to seal about the compression cavities and between the rotor and the bore of the rotor chamber.

Another object of this invention is to provid a rotary engine construction which is extremely simple in design, a construction which involves an extremely small number of parts and a construction in which each of said parts is easy and economical to manufacture and is easy and economical to assemble.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary engine of the character referred to which is highly effective and eflicient in operation.

The foregoing and other objects and features of my invention will be apparent and will be fully understood from the following detailed description of one preferred form and carrying out of my invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a transverse sectional view of my new engme;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line 22 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are reduced sectional views similar to FIG. 1 with certain parts illustrated diagrammatically and showing the parts of the construction in different relative positions; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged isometric view of the check valve means that I provide.

The rotary engine E which is the subject matter of this invention and which is shown in the accompanying drawings includes, first, a body B. The body B is an elongate, horizontally extending, substantially cylindrical metal part formed by machining or by casting and machining. The body B has a cylindrical outer side 10, a central, cylindrical bore 11, flat ends 12 and upper and lower radially outwardly projecting gate guide projections 14. The body B, as illustrated, is greater in diametric extent than longitudinal or axial extent.

ICE

The gate guide projections 14 have vertical longitudinally extending, radially inwardly and outwardly opening slot-like guide openings 15, the outer portions 15' of which are enlarged, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

The guide openings 15 and their enlarged outer portions 15 have flat sidewalls 16 and 16' and flat end walls 17 spaced axially inward of the ends 12 of the body. The guide openings are less in longitudinal extent than the body.

In addition to the foregoing, the body is provided with a substantially radially inwardly opening spark recess 18 at the right hand side or the leading side of the upper guide opening 15, intermediate the ends of the body. A substantially radially outwardly opening threaded socket opening 19 communicates with the recess 18 and a spark plug 20 is engaged in said socket opening 19 and the recess 18. The spark plug 20' is accessible at the exterior of the body, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

Still further, the body is provided with a substantially radially inwardly opening cavity-like expansion chamber 21 at the left hand side of the trailing side of the upper guide opening 15. The chamber 21 is of predetermined radial, axial and circumferential extent and is centrally located, longitudinally of the body.

The chamber 21 is slightly less in longitudinal extent than the guide openings 15 and so that the ends thereof are spaced axially inwardly from the ends of said guide openings, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

The terms leading and trailing as referred to above and as will be employed in the following are concerned with and relate to the structure with respect to the direction of rotation of the rotor, hereinafter to be described, and as is indicated by the arrow W in the drawings.

In practice, the configuration, volumetric extent and the circumferential extent of the expansion chamber 21 can be varied considerably to control the operating characteristics and the efiiciency of the engine.

The lower side of the body, immediately adjacent the left hand side or leading side of the lower guide opening 15 and immediately adjacent the right hand side or trailing side of the lower guide opening 15 is provided with substantially radially extending exhaust and inlet ports 22 and 23, respectively.

The size of the exhaust and intake ports 22 and 23 can be varied as desired and as circumstances require. Each of said parts is less in longitudinal or axial extent, relative to the longitudinal or axial extent of the body than the longitudinal extent of the guide openings 15 and is arranged so that it is spaced axially inward from the radial planes in which ends 17 of the openings 15 occur.

In the case illustrated, the body is provided with filleted portions at each side of the lower projection 14, which fillets define fiat, outwardly disposed mounting surfaces 25, normal to the central, longitudinal axes of the ports 22 and 23 and on which the mounting flanges or plates 26 and 27 on an exhaust pipe 28 and a carburetor 29 are fixed, as by means of bolt fasteners 30.

The open ends of the bore 11 are closed by end plates 31, which plates are cylindrical plug-like parts with flat,

.radially extending, axially inwardly disposed inner end faces 32 and central shaft receiving openings 33. The end plates 31 have radially outwardly projecting flanges 34 about their outer end portions to stop against the ends 12 of the body and to stop said plates with their inner end faces in common radial planes with the ends 17 of the guide openings 15. The flanges 34 and the body B are provided with circumferentially spaced registering openings (not shown) in which suitable screw fasteners 35 are engaged to releasably secure the end plates to the body.

The shaft openings 33 are provided with suitable hearing means 36 to rotatably support a rotor shaft 37 extending longitudinally through and from the opposite ends of the construction.

The outer open ends of the outer portions of the guide openings in the projections 14 are closed by simple, flat cover plates 38 fixed to the outer ends of the projections 14 by screw fasteners 39.

The body B and the ends plates 31 cooperate to define a rotor chamber Z in which a rotor 40 carried by the shaft 37 is rotatably engaged.

The rotor 40 is an elongate part, semi-elliptical in cross-section and is provided with a central opening 41 through which the shaft 37 extends. The shaft and rotor are fixed against relative rotation by a suitable key 42.

The rotor 40 is substantially equal in axial extent with the distance between the inner faces 32 of the end plates 31 and has flat, axially outwardly disposed ends opposing said inner faces of the end plates with running clearance.

The semi-elliptical rotor defines a pair of diametrically opposite, radially outwardly disposed arcuate faces 43 of limited circumferential extent. The faces 43 are concentric with and substantially equal in radial extent with the bore 11 of the body and oppose said bore with running clearance. The rotor further defines a pair of diametrically opposite, radially outwardly disposed, arcuate lands 44 extending between related ends of the faces 43. The axes of the lands are spaced from the central axis of the rotor, on the side of the axis of the rotor remote from the sides thereof at which each land occurs and the radius of said lands 44 is greater than the radius of said bore 11 of the body, whereby the lands 44 cooperate with the bore 11 to define two circumferentially extending, circumferentially spaced, crescent-shaped gas transport spaces between X and Y at the opposite sides of the rotor and between said faces 43.

Each face 43 of the rotor 40 is provided with a radially outwardly opening compression cavity 45.

In the form of the invention illustrated each cavity 45 is provided with a flat leading side wall 46, which wall is disposed substantially rearwardly to the direction of rotation of the rotor, as indicated by the arrows W.

In addition to the foregoing, the rotor 40 is provided with flow passages 47 extending between the leading side wall 46 of the compression cavities 45 and the land 44 which occurs in advance of each cavity. The How passages 47 establish communication between the compression; cavities and their related leading gas transport spaces X and Y.

The flow passages 47 enter the trailing ends of the lands 44.

In practice, there are a number, for example four, of flow passages 47 related to each cavity 45 and, in the case illustrated, are shown arranged in spaced parallel relationship and in a row extending axially of the rotor and the cavity.

The flow passages 47 are adapted to conduct unburned fuel and air into their related compression cavities, as will hereinafter be described. By providing a plurality of flow passages of small cross-sectional extent the desired transfer of fuel and air can be obtained and, at the same time, the openings or passages can be maintained sufficiently small so as to prevent or substantially control, impede or slow the combustion of fuel and air therein so as not to adversely affect the operation of the construction, as will hereinafter be described.

In addition to the foregoing, the construction is provided with check valve means V to control the flow of gases through the flow passages 47 into the compression cavities. The valves means V is such that gases are free to flow from the spaces X and Y, through the flow passages 47 and into the compression cavities 45, but

cannot flow in an opposite direction, that is, out of the compression cavities 45, through said flow passages and back into the gas transport spaces X and Y.

The valve means V can vary widely in form and construction. In the case illustrated, the means V is shown as a combination clapper-reed type of valve means and includes a central carrier plate 50 fixed centrally to the wall 46 of its related cavity by means of a suitable screw fastener and a pair of elongate, flat, valve plates 51 pivotally and/or yieldingly carried by the plate 50, longitudinally in opposite directions therefrom and shiftable into and out of fiat bearing and sealing engagement with said Wall 46 of the cavity and over the ends of the flow passages 47 opening at the said wall 46.

The valving plates 51 are gas pressure actuated and are such that when the gas pressures in the gas transfer spaces X and Y are greater than the gas pressures in the compression cavity, the gases are free to flow from the spaces X and Y, through the flow passages, by the valve means and into the cavities, but when the above noted gas pressure differentials are reversed, such flow of gases is stopped or prevented.

The construction provided by this invention further includes a pair of spring actuated head gates 60 each arranged in one of the guide openings 15 and shiftable radially relative to the body and into sliding sealing engagement with the rotor 40.

The head gates are simple, flat, rectangular plate-like parts corresponding in general cross-sectional configuration with the guide openings 15 in which they are slidably engaged.

Each gate 60 has a longitudinally extending inner edge 61 which establishes sliding sealing engagement with the lands and faces of the rotor 40.

In the preferred carrying out of the invention and as illustrated in the drawings, each gate 60 is provided with an enlarged head portion 61 corresponding in horizontal cross-section with the cross-section of the enlarged portion 15 of its related guide opening and slidably engaged therein.

The corner of the inner edges 61 of the head gates, opposing the direction of rotation of travel of the rotor are suitably radiused, as illustrated in the drawings.

The head portion 62 of the head gates occur in spaced relationship from the plates 38 closing the ends of the guide openings and suitable spring means are provided between said plates and head portions of the gates to normally yieldingly urge the head gates radially inward and into sliding, bearing and sealing engagement with the rotor 40.

In the case illustrated the spring means includes a pair of compression springs 65 between the plates 38 and the gate heads.

The springs 65 are supported and guided by radially inwardly projecting guide and stop pins 66 carried by the plates 38. The pins 66 project inwardly to a point where they engage the gates, when the gates are in their outermost positions (see FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings) and so that the gates are prevented from moving outwardly an excessive distance.

Finally, the construction includes sealing means about the compression cavities 45 and between the faces 43 of the rotor and the bore 11 of the body. The construction includes additional sealing means between the ends of the rotor 40 and the end plates 31 closing the ends of the bore 11 of the body.

The sealing means about the compression cavities comprise substantially rectangular, radially outwardly opening ring grooves 70 in the faces 43 of the rotor about the cavity and suitable rectangular sealing rings 71 slidably engaged in the grooves 70 and projecting radially outwardly therefrom to slidably engage and seal with the floor 11 of the body.

The sealing means between the ends of the rotor and the inner faces 32 of the end plates 31 include an annular ring groove 72 in each end of the rotor, concentric with the axis thereof and an annular sealing ring 73 slidably engaged in each of said grooves to project axially outwardly therefrom and establish sliding sealing engagement with the opposing surface of its related end plate.

In practice, the rings 71 and 73 can be cast iron rings suitably dressed and/or ground.

Further, suitable resilient back up rings 74 can be provided between each sealing ring and the bottom of its related groove to normally yieldingly urge the ring out and into sealing engagement with the surface it opposes.

It is to be noted that the leading sides or edges of the rings 71, as the rotor rotates, engage or are engaged by the radiused corners of the inner edges of the head gates and are urged radially inwardly in the grooves 70* against the resistance of the back up rings 74 and/or urge the gates radially outwardly against the resistance of the springs 65 and in such a manner that the gates and the rings 71 will not catch in a way as to prevent the free and satisfactory operation of the construction.

In operation, first referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a mixture of previously compressed fuel and air in the compression cavity 45 at the top of the rotor, is ignited by the spark plug 20. The burning and expanding gases flow from the compression cavity into the expansion chamber 21 as the cavity moves by said expansion chamber, as illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. After the compression cavity moves by or past the expansion chamber 21, the crescent-shaped gas transport space Y, which follows, communicates with the chamber 21 and the expanding, burning gases flow from the chamber 21 into the space Y to act upon the rotor land 44 defining said space, urging said rotor counter-clockwise, as clearly illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings.

The upper head gate 60 prevents the burning and expanding gases from flowing clockwise in the construction.

Referring again to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the previously ignited gases in the gas transfer space X, at the left side of the rotor, are substantially burned and expanded as the lower or lead end of the land 44 defining the space X reaches the exhaust port 22 and as the trailing end of said land moves past the expansion chamber 21. As the rotor continues to rotate, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the expanded gases in the space X are urged out through the exhaust port 22. The lower head gate 60 prevents the exhaust gases from following the rotor and displaces the gases from the leading end to the trailing end of the space X, as the rotor rotates.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the gas transport chamber Y, at the right hand side of the rotor is charged or filled with a mixture of fuel and air. As the rotor continues to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow W, the face 43 and the compression cavity at the lower side of the rotor, trailing the space Y, moves to the right and upwardly, past the intake port 23 and, thence, past the top or upper head gate 60. As the above referred to parts and/or portions of the construction move in the above noted manner, the fuel air mixture in said space is displaced and compressed by the upper head gate 60, from the leading end of the space Y to the trailing end thereof. The fuel air mixture thus compressed is urged into and through the flow passages 47 extending between the trailing end portion of the space or land 44 and the compression cavity 45 trailing said space Y.

The check valve means opens to permit the free flow of the compressed fuel air mixture from the space Y into said trailing compression cavity (see FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings).

When the space Y moves a sufiicient distance so that the inlet end of the flow passages, opening at the land surface 44 defining the space Y, move by the top or upper head gate, the flow of fuel and air into and through the flow passages is shut off and the check valve means can close.

In practice, the check valve means will not close until the pressure in the compression cavity 45, at the top of the rotor, is greater than the pressure at the inlet ends of the flow passages. Accordingly, when the flow passages and compression cavities are in those positions shown at the upper sides of the rotor in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings, greater pressure might occur in the gas trans port space at the left or combustion side of the rotor than in the compression cavity, even though the gases at said combustion side of the rotor should be substantially fully burned and expanded when the construction reaches such a position.

When the above condition exists, the fuel air mixture in the flow passages is urged by the check valve means into the compression cavity by the greater pressure in the gas transfer space leading or in advance of the cavity to increase the pressure of the fuel and air in the cavity. To prevent preignition of the fuel and air mixture in the compression cavity, as a result of the fuel and air in the flow passages being ignited when the leading or inlet ends thereof move into communication with the expansion chamber 21 and the combustion side of the construction, the flow passages are made sufiiciently small and of sufiicient length so as to retard and slow combustion of fuel and air therein so that the compression cavity reaches that position where ignition is started within the cavity by the spark plug and before flame advancing through the fiow passage can ignite it. The size, length and number of flow passages can vary widely to gain the above end. The number and proportioning of flow passages in determinable by such factors as the size of the engine and its speed range, particularly the lowermost speed at which the engine is to operate.

Upon spark ignition of the fuel and air in the compression cavities, and resulting increased pressure, the check valve means is positively closed.

It will be apparent that as each land 44 of the rotor advances into engagement with and thence by the lower head gate 60, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings, fuel and air is drawn in through the carburetor, intake port 23, and, thence, into the space defined by the land 44 and the bore 11 of the body, at the right hand side of the construction and until the trailing end of the land moves and advances past the intake port 23, whereupon the gas transport space, whether it be the space X or Y, is fully charged and prepared for having said charge transferred into its related compression cavity in the manner set forth in the preceding.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the two spaces X and Y and their related faces, compression cavities, flow passages and check valve means cooperate with the head gates, spark plug, expansion chamber and intake and exhaust ports in an identical manner and that the engine is, in effect, the equivalent of a two cylinder internal combustion engine having a displacement substantially equal to the volumetric extent of the spaces X and Y.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A rotary engine comprising a body with an elongate rotor chamber having a cylindrical bore and axially inwardly disposed end walls, an elongate, central shaft extending longitudinally through the rotor chamber and rotatably supported by and projecting outwardly from the opposite ends of the body, a rotor on the shaft within the rotor chamber having flat ends opposing the end walls of the chamber, diametrically opposite radially outwardly disposed arcuate faces opposing and in running clearance from the bore and arcuate, diametrically opposite lands intermediate the faces spaced inwardly from the bore to define crescent-shaped gas transport spaces, a pair of radially shiftable head gates carried by the body at diametrically opposite sides thereof and slidably engaging the lands and faces of the rotor to seal between the rotor and the bore, a radially inwardly opening spark plug recess in the bore at the leading side of one gate and towards which the rotor rotates, a spark plug in the spark plug recess, a radially inwardly opening expansion chamber in the bore at the other or trailing side of said one gate, an exhaust port in the body entering the bore at the leading side of the other gate and adapted to connect with an exhaust pipe at the exterior of the body, a radially inwardly opening intake port in the body entering the bore, at the trailing side of said other gate and adapted to connect with a carburetor at the exterior of the body, a radially outwardly opening compression cavity in each face of the rotor, flow passages extending between each cavity and the gas transport space in advance of and leading each compression cavity as the rotor rotates and gas pressure actuated check valve means related to the flow passages and check the flow of gases from the compression cavities through the flow passages.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compression cavities in the rotor faces extend axially of the rotor and terminates short of and are spaced from the ends of the rotor, the head gates having inner motor engaging edges extending axially of and coextensive with the rotor.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compression cavities in the rotor faces extend axially of the rotor and terminate short of and are spaced from the ends of the rotor, the head gates having inner rotor engaging edges extending axially of and coextensive with the rotor, and sealing means to seal between the rotor faces and the bore about the compression cavities and including radially outwardly opening sealing ring grooves in the faces about the compression cavities, sealing rings in the sealing ring grooves and back-up rings in the sealing ring groove radially inwardly of the sealing rings and normally yieldingly urging the sealing rings radially outward into sealing engagement with the bore.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compression cavities in the rotor faces extend axially of the rotor and terminate short of and are spaced from the ends of the rotor, the head gates having inner rotor engaging edges extending axially of and coextensive with the rotor, and sealing means between the ends of the rotor and the opposing end walls of the rotor chamber and including annular axially outwardly opening seal grooves in the ends of the rotor, annular seals in the seal grooves and resilient means in the seal grooves axially inward of the seals and normally yieldingly urging the seals axially into sealing engagement with the end walls.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compression cavities in the rotor faces extend axially of the rotor and terminates short of and are spaced from the ends of the rotor, the head gates having inner rotor engaging edges extending axially of and coextenisive with the rotor, and sealing means to seal between the rotor faces and the bore about the compression cavities and including radially outwardly opening sealing ring grooves in the faces about the compression cavities, sealing rings in the sealing ring grooves and back-up rings in the sealing ring groove radially inwardly of the sealing rings and normally yieldingly urging the sealing rings radially outward into sealing engagement with the bore, and sealing means between the ends of the rotor and the opposing end walls of the rotor chamber and including annular axially outwardly opening seal grooves in the ends of the rotor, annular seals in the seal grooves and resilient means in the seal grooves axially inward of the seals and normally yieldingly urging the seals axially into sealing engagement with the end walls.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said head gates are flat plate-like ports slidably engaged in slot-like guide openings extending axially of the body, coextensive with the bore, said guide openings opening radially inwardly, and spring means in said guide openings radially outward of the head gates and normally yieldingly urging the head gates radially inwardly and into sealing engagement with the rotor.

7. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compression cavities in the rotor faces extend axially of the rotor and terminate short of and are spaced from the ends of the rotor, the head gates having inner rotor engaging edges extending axially of and coextensive with the rotor, said head gates being flat plate-like ports slidably engaged in slot-like guide openings extending axially of the body, coextensive with the bore, said guide openings opening radially inwardly, and spring means in said guide openings radially outward of the head gates and normally yieldingly urging the head gates radially inwardly and into sealing engagement with the rotor.

8. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compression cavities in the rotor faces extend axially of the rotor and terminate short of and are spaced from the ends of the rotor, the head gates having inner rotor engaging edges extending axially of and coextensive with the rotor, and sealing means to seal between the rotor faces and the bore about the compression cavities and including radially outwardly opening sealing ring grooves in the faces about the compression cavities, sealing rings in the sealing ring grooves and back-up rings in the sealing ring groove radially inwardly of the sealing rings and nor mally yieldingly urging the sealing rings radially outward into sealing engagement with the bore, said head gates being flat plate-like ports slidably engaged in slot-like guide openings extending axially of the body, coextensive with the bore, said guide openings opening radially inwardly, and spring means in said guide openings radially outward of the head gates and normally yieldingly urging the head gates radially inwardly and into sealing engagement with the rotor.

9. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compression cavities in the rotor faces extend axially of the rotor and terminate short of and are spaced from the ends of the rotor, the head gates having inner rotor engaging edges extending axially of and coextensive with the rotor, and sealing means between the ends of the rotor and the opposing end walls of the rotor chamber and including annular axially outwardly opening seal grooves in the ends of the rotor, annular seals in the seal grooves and resilient means in the seal grooves axially inward of the seals and normally yieldingly urging the seals axially into sealing engagement with the end walls, said head gates being flat plate-like ports slidably engaged in slotlike guide openings extending axially of the body, coextensive with the bore, said guide openings opening radially inwardly, and spring means in said guide openings radially outward of the head gates and normally yieldingly urging the head gates radially inwardly and into sealing engagement with the rotor.

10. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said compression cavities in the rotor faces extend axially of the rotor and terminate short of and are spaced from the ends of the rotor, the head gates having inner rotor engaging edges extending axially of and coextensive with the rotor, and sealing means to seal between the rotor faces and the bore about the compression cavities and including radially outwardly opening sealing ring grooves in the faces about the compression cavities, sealing rings in the sealing ring grooves and back-up rings in the sealing ring groove radially inwardly of the sealing rings and normally yieldingly urging the sealing rings radially outward into sealing engagement with the bore, and sealing means between the ends of the rotor and the opposing end walls of the rotor chamber and including annular axially outwardly opening seal grooves and resilient means in the seal grooves axially inward of the seals and normally yieldingly urging the seals axially into sealing engagement with the end walls, said head gates are flat plate-like ports slidably engaged in slot-like guide openings extending axially of the body, coextensive with the bore, said guide openings opening radially inwardly, and spring means in said guide openings radially outward of the head gates and normally yieldingly urging the head the rotor.

9 10 gates radially inwardly and into sealing engagement with FOREIGN PATENTS 1,335,918 7/1963 France. References 622,734 6/1961 Italy. UNITED STATES PATENTS Bamford 5 Primary Examiner 6/1962 Yalnizyan 6039.61 3/1965 Appleton 12316 X 60 39 CL 6/1965 Sumner 60--39.61 

